With fewer phones including stand-out features, I’m curious to know what everyone thinks the best phone for an android enthusiast/power user is nowadays?

Your definition of a power user is obviously up to you, but I always thought of one as someone who experiments with third party apps, is open to flashing, sideloads apps, debloats, etc in order to get the most bang for your buck, and the first thing that comes to mind is the Pixel series (but what do i know?)

What do you all think?

  • dog@suppo.fiEnglish
    111·
    1 year ago

    Pixel is more or less the best for tinkering currently. Also the only supported phone for Graphene. Xiaomi used to be decent to tinker with, but they’ve said they’re going to close off the bootloader in coming years, so no more tinkering. Huawei is entirely closed. Oneplus I heard used to be decent, but they’re just way too overpriced now, with other issues too. I guess motorola/nokia are options for low-range phones. No clue about Asus etc.

    • theredhood@lemm.eeEnglish
      71·
      1 year ago

      Xiaomi used to be decent to tinker with, but they’ve said they’re going to close off the bootloader in coming years, so no more tinkering.

      Do you have a source of that? I couldn’t find any news about it.

      • dog@suppo.fiEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        It was originally posted about in 2018, and all “source” material for it seems to have been pruned.

        All I can find now is Xiaomi labeling it as “fake news”, along with a translation of what might’ve been in the original closure statement, which said the service were to close Dec 1st. 2018.

        Now it could’ve been real news, but once Xiaomi got caught saying it, they quickly redacted it because it might’ve been for internal consumption only.

        Reminds me of Paypal trying to implement a 2000$ fine on users whose speech they don’t agree with, which after they were caught, they tried to say it never happened.

        So take it as you will; I tend to believe big corporation leaks which are about to fuck over their customers, over said corporation trying to say it never happened once caught.

        For some reading, see https://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-bootloader-unlocking-shutting-down-927526/